


No one quite like you

by amamiya_toki



Series: One Love [1]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 17:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10035812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amamiya_toki/pseuds/amamiya_toki
Summary: When Tsunashi Ryuunosuke first laid his eyes on Ousaka Sougo, he thought of her as a beautiful person. However, as he gets to know more about her, he learns that there is more to her than meets the eye.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a day late. I had a lot of plans for February that did not go through. Sorry, it had been a very bad month; I was either sick or depressed and even got hospitalised for the first time in my life. I won't say much.
> 
> To note, this is the start of the string of fem!Idolish7 (just them seven for now) ideas I cooked up. Everyone's name is the same except for Yamato which I changed to something more feminine.
> 
> As usual, please enjoy.

In all his life, Tsunashi Ryuunosuke has never met someone quite like Ousaka Sougo.

His first impression of her was that of a shy, quiet girl. She was meek and modest, which reminded him of himself, yet on stage was bold enough to put herself forward as a unique individual and member of her group.

If it was not because of work, they would probably not have the chance to meet. He had come to know the young miss as one of the two members of Mezzo", the unit that made an early debut head of the seven-man (well, woman) idol group Idolish7. The two groups shared a somewhat friendly rivalry with one another, yet over time their members have grown close to one another on personal terms despite being told off by their agency's president, the older Yaotome, not to be chummy with them.

To be frank, Ryuunosuke was not sure what about Sougo had caught his attention. Perhaps it was how she carried herself: unlike many females he had come to know, she carried herself in a manner that resembled a well-bred young lady. Perhaps it was the queer feeling he had when he first heard of her name, which was clearly male and did not suit someone like her. Perhaps it was her singing voice, which unlike her partner Yotsuba Tamaki's powerful one was smooth yet strong, pleasing to the ear.

Despite the reason, he could not deny the fact that he had grown attracted to her, not simply because she was exceptionally beautiful. With long snow-white hair and eyes that shone like amethysts, it was not surprising that she had caught the attention of many even though she had just made her debut into showbiz. However, it was the sadness deep within her eyes that he had noticed, something that she did her best to keep hidden.

Despite that, as he got to be closer to her, learnt that there is more to her than meets the eye.

He first noticed this during their joint rehearsals when they were grouped together for the Special Live that was held for the renewal of the Zero Arena. Ryuu had been surprised that he had been assigned to the same team as the two girls. He had heard a lot of bad rumours about Mezzo", but he never believed them. He was right not to, as the only impression had been nothing but good. Although, even though their relationship seemed to be closer to sibling rather than that of partners, there were times when it felt closer to being that of mother and daughter. Despite everything, he could tell that Sougo was a woman who truly cared about those who were important to her.

However, it would be nice if she thought about herself a little bit more, he thought.

f

He did not expect to see a new side of her, however, during the first anniversary of Idolish7's debut. Well, he did not expect to be dragged to that party; he was only requested by his seniors from Re:vale to help. The members of Trigger had every intention to turn the invitation down, but they decided to attend for a short while.

To be honest, what happened that night was partially… well, mostly his fault. He knew that Sougo was an adult, but he did not expect that she would be bad with alcohol. Despite that he had insisted that she drink, thinking that she was being modest as usual when she refused. However, she eventually accepted his offer out of respect, which led to a complete fiasco later on when she finally got drunk. He was later informed by Izumi Iori and Rokuya Nagi about the so-called "dangers" of letting Sougo drink, something that made him he realise that he had made a grave mistake.

Despite that, he actually felt glad that he had did it. Sougo was very different when drunk: while her usual self was reserved and considered, under the influence of alcohol she was spoilt and selfish, demanding even. It was so unexpected, yet he could not help but find it adorable.

One thing that was the least expected, however, was how he did not expect to have his groin become her pillow.

Any man in his situation would have gotten a boner, to not just have any pretty lady but the exquisite beauty Ousaka Sougo plop themselves between their spread legs and nuzzling her cheek into their inner thighs. Fortunately for Ryuu, the awkwardness of the entire situation due to everything else that had been happening around them and the sudden appearance of their company president Yaotome Sousuke had distracted his blood from racing down south.

He ended up staying until the end of the party, to help everyone clean up. At that time the drunkards, all three adults of Idolish7, were fast asleep. The leader of his group, Yaotome Gaku helped to carry the girls' leader, Nikaido Yamane back to the dormitory, while Nagi managed to lift Izumi Mitsuki up in her arms without difficulty. Kujou Tenn escorted his younger twin sister Nanase Riku back with Iori in tow. Everyone entrusted Sougo to Ryuu, a task which he accepted without hesitation. He lifted her up in both arms, and to his surprise she was lighter than he had expected. Fortunately, it was quite late at that time and there was no one on the streets. The darkness of the night helped to cover the short distance travelled from the agency to the dorms. There, Tamaki had helped point out the door of her room before disappearing into her own with a loud yawn.

It had been Ryuu's first time in a girl's, or young woman's, room. This only occured to him when he stepped inside and searched for her bed. However, while it was neat and organised, it was rather plain. He was under the impression that girls would have cute things, such as stuffed animals or posters put up for decoration. Pushing that thought aside, he lay her down on the bed gently, pulling the blanket up to her chin to make sure that she kept warm throughout the night. Her peaceful sleeping face was a sight to behold; he could not help but to smile lovingly at it, reaching his hand out to stroke her cheek gently. Her skin was smooth and supple, a pleasant feeling that he felt would linger onto his fingers.

Knowing that it was time to leave, he withdrew his hand. However, it was grabbed by hers, much to his surprise.

"Don't... me..." She murmured in her sleep, tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. "Don't leave me alone... please..."

Was she having a bad dream, he wondered?

His heart grew heavy at the sight of this. He did not want to leave her side, not just yet. At least, not while she is like this, but there is nothing he could do other than to bend over to wipe her tears away with his thumb.

However, staying was one thing he could not do at that moment. Gaku and Tenn had work in the morning and he was the only one who drove that night. It hurt him to separate from this precious person when she needed him. It made him want to protect and watch over her, a strange feeling which he had never felt before. However, before he could put a name to it, Gaku called for him and he had no choice but to ease her hand off his and leave.

The next morning, she apologised profusely to him in the form of a long string of messages on rabbit chat. She explained that even though she had no memory of what she had done the night before, she had been told

about the atrocities that she had put him through from Iori and Nagi. He had yet to leave his apartment then and was able to reply to them right away, which lead to even more apologies from her. She promised to make it up to him, even though he felt that there was no need for her to. However, something in his head struck this as a chance for them to spend some time in private. It was a good opportunity not to be missed and he agreed without thinking, which made him regret his decision almost immediately after. What if he was being too pushy by agreeing so quickly? He hoped that she would not feel repulsed by it, but judging from her reply his worries seemed to be for naught.

They quickly made their plans to meet for dinner, on his day off and after she was done with filming for an advertisement. The location was a small Italian restaurant located in the neighbourhood where Ryuu's apartment was located, which by coincidence was two stations away from the studio where Sougo would be working.

Since she was unfamiliar with the location, he promised to pick her up from the station.

Because they would both be in disguise, he kept a lookout for her. Fortunately, she messaged him the moment she alighted from the train, which kept him on alert to the flow of passengers leaving the fare gates. He spotted her almost immediately, wearing a beige blouse with matching pale brown skirt that almost reached her ankles. She wore a pair of thick-framed glasses and a hat that compliments her outfit, with her long white hair in a long braid draped across her shoulder which was tied by a plain lavender-coloured rubber band.

The moment she had tapped out at the gates she began to search for him, clutching the straps of the tote on her shoulder in uncertainty. However, before he could call out her name to catch her attention, their eyes met. Relieved to see him, she beamed with joy as she walked over to him. That smile made his heart skip a beat, and he willed himself to act normally as she approached.

"Tsunashi-san, thank you for taking time to have dinner with me tonight."

As usual, she greeted him politely with a bow.

"You don't have to be so formal with me tonight, Ousaka-san; we're meeting off work after all."

"You're right... I'm sorry, it's a bad habit of mine."

"It's no worries. Rather, I should be the one who is thanking you instead, as the person who is being treated to dinner. I made a reservation for tonight, just in case the place gets too crowded."

"Oh, you didn't have to."

"I was the one who suggested the place, so allow me to do that at the very least."

On Ryuu's part, he was half-lying about the reason why he made the reservation. He had frequented the trattoria ever since he first came here and he knew that today, being the middle of the week, was a quiet day. Despite that, there were unexpected times when an entire group of students would frequent the place and occupy more than half to three-thirds of the place. He had made the reservation with the intention of getting a quiet corner where they could spend their private time without worrying about unnecessary disturbances.

The trattoria was a small establishment located on the main street, about ten minutes by foot from the station. Ryuu was personal acquaintances with the owner, a Japanese man past his middle age whose love of Italian cuisine brought him to the country in his youth. He not only returned to his home country several years later with enough experience to open his own shop but with a beautiful wife as well.

"Come, let's go. You must be hungry after work." He extended his hand out to her. "It's awfully crowded today, so make sure you don't get separated from me."

When she flushed red, he realised that he actually made a bold offer to hold her hand. He was embarrassed by how he let it slip so naturally, especially when they were only just acquaintances going out for a meal. However, she accepted his offer, reaching out her hand towards him.

When he took it, he could not help but be conscious of how small her hand was, yet there was a comfortable feeling about how well its size complemented his. It was a perfect fit and he knew that she felt the same way about his, too.

It was silent during their short walk; both were feeling too awkward and nervous to begin a conversation with the other. Ryuu tried to think of something to say, but he could not come up with anything that would not make the tension in the air thicker. However, he did not expect Sougo to be the one to break the silence.

She first caught his attention by moving her hand, the one he held, a little. "Tsunashi-san, there's no one around now..."

"A-Ah! Sorry!" He let go quickly, but his hand remained raised as if he had been caught red-handed doing something improper.

This made Sougo chuckle, and even though Ryuu had no idea what made her do so it did not matter to him.

They soon arrived at their destination, which featured a modest exterior that had a European feel despite being surrounded by eateries serving Japanese food. He opened the heavy door for Sougo, allowing her to enter the establishment before him.

"Welcome!" The owner's wife greeted them cheerfully when she noticed their entrance.

"G-Good evening." Sougo returned the greeting shyly.

"Good evening, madam. It has been a while. It's rare to see the shop completely empty for once.."

"Oh, about that! You see, when that dear husband of mine heard that you had called to reserve a table for two, he decided to close the shop just for you and your companion! Looks like his hunch was right!" The woman gave Sougo a big smile. "Feel free and relax here tonight; you don't have to worry about anyone peeking in or gossiping about you two."

"Dear." A deep voice was heard from inside the shop, from the kitchen located behind the counters in the middle of the shop, belonging to the shop owner. "You don't have to blurt out unnecessary things to them young'uns."

"We appreciate the thought, but our relationship isn't anything like that…"

"There you go, being shy again!" The older woman gave him two hard pats on the back. "What are the both of you standing around for? Sit, sit!"

"Yes, we will… Ousaka-san, where is good for you?"

"I'm fine with anywhere you are…"

"I see… madam, I'll take my usual seat."

"No problems at all. This way!"

The two were shown to the corner of the counter at the far end of the shop, where Sougo finally got to see the owner. He looked like a grumpy man typical of his age, dressed neatly in white. However, the light flush of his cheeks hinted that his deep frown was simply his way of hiding his embarrassment.

As the seats lined by the counter were high, Ryuu helped her up so she could have a hand to lift her long skirt slightly to prevent stepping on it by accident. Once both of them were comfortable, they were served water and handed the menu.

Ryuu was able to decide on his order quickly, but he noticed that Sougo seemed to have some difficulty deciding.

"Ousaka-san, would you like a recommendation?"

"Yes, if you'd please."

"What kind of food do you usually like?"

"I like spicy food. I have a high tolerance for spice; I can even eat dishes that are labelled _geki-karai_ or _piri-karai_ without much difficulty."

"Oh?" That was another side of her that he did not expect. "If that's the case, the seafood arrabbiata should be worth the try. I haven't tried it myself, but I heard it's awfully spicy. Is it, owner?"

"I can vouch for that." The man gave them a thumbs up sign along with his reply.

"I see… I'll have that."

"Do you want something to start the meal before that?"

"I guess I could have the salad, with the olive oil dressing?"

"Make it two of that." Ryuu directed the order to the owner, who nodded in acknowledgement. "And a pizza capricciosa for me."

"How about dessert?" That question seemed to be directed towards Sougo.

"I'm not sure if I can finish everything… perhaps next time."

"Got it."

While they waited for their food, they began a conversation. It started off with common topics: how their day was and how had work been for them out of late. It was Ryuu who set the ball rolling towards their private lives, but he could not help it because it was a matter that he had been curious about.

"Say, Ousaka-san, I hope you don't mind if I asked about your name?"

At that time, the salad had arrived a while ago. Sougo was still chewing daintily on her portion when Ryuu had finished his.

The question had not come as a surprise to her, there seemed to be a number of people who would ask her about it. "What about my name do you wish to know?"

"I was just curious, but why does such a pretty girl such as yourself have a man's name?"

"About that..." She set her fork down on the now-empty plate. "I believe I once mentioned before that my father is the head of the Five Star Company?"

"Ah, yes."

"From what I had heard, when my mother was pregnant with me, she was told that she would have a son. My father was elated at the prospect of having an heir and had decided on my name before I was born. However, what was supposed to be the best day of his life became his worst when he learnt that his promised son ended up becoming a daughter. However, my father is a stubborn man, and I know that better than anyone else. Instead of accepting reality, he decided to continue with his self-written script."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Not only did he give me a boy's name, I was also raised as a boy and the heir of the family until I began middle school."

"Eh?"

Judging from how she carried herself he would have expected to be told about how harsh her upbringing as a young lady was. But to have been brought up as a boy... there was so much he could ask about that!

"What about school? Surely your teachers would have done something about it..."

"I didn't attend elementary school as any normal child would, but was home-schooled by tutors instead. I was taught many subjects a normal elementary student would not be expected to learn. My father himself personally taught me about business, ensuring that I was well aware of my position and duty as his heir."

"I-I see..." It was unusual to hear Sougo use such strong words or to be so resentful of someone.

"I'm sorry, I... I think you can tell I don't have a very good relationship with my father."

"It's fine… everyone has their own circumstances." He should not pry further, not when she did not seem comfortable telling him more. "I'm sorry, I touched on something sensitive, didn't I?"

"No, it's fine… you're not the first person to have asked."

It hurt to see that glint of sadness resurface in her eyes, with her head hung low. Her hands were balled into fists, clutching the fabric of her skirt in them. Ryuu felt guilty, knowing that his apology would not suffice. He should comfort her, perhaps offer some words of assurance.

What should he say? He does not know, but he does when it comes to what he should do. He placed his hand over hers gently. This made her look up at him, her soft gaze questioning the reason behind his actions.

"It's all in the past. You don't have to think so much about it."

"You're right. I'm a silly person for letting something like that make me feel down, aren't I?"

"That's not the case. Everyone has something that they don't want to talk about or remember. You don't have to be so harsh on yourself."

"Still, Tsunashi-san is the first person I told this much about when it comes to my name." She smiled, although her eyes were averted. "I wonder why… I feel that there so many things I can talk to you about that I don't usually feel like telling others? Maybe because Tsunashi-san is a kind person."

"I'm not as kind a person as you think I am, Ousaka-san."

Ryuu had not realised that he had said that until he saw Sougo's confused expression.

However, he swiftly redirected the flow of the conversation with another question, and it became his turn to tell her about his family. She listened eagerly as he spoke about his father, as well as his mother and his many younger brothers.

Their food arrived around that time, both the pasta and the pizza.

One look at her dish and Ryuu could tell that it was not simply spicy, but at a level that was almost frightening. What was even more amazing was how she ate it normally, savouring as if the spiciness did not exist.

"Tsunashi-san, is something the matter?"

"I'm just amazed, that's all. You really love spicy, don't you? How is the food?"

"It's delicious, the best I ever had. If only most places in Japan would have it this spicy. Would you like to try some?"

"N-No, I'll pass, thank you for your offer."

Their dinner ended on a good note, with the owner even giving them what seemed to be a generous slice of apple tart with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They shared this portion among themselves, as both were too full to finish it on their own.

After the meal, Ryuu sent her off at the train station.

"Thank you very much for sending me off, and for the recommendation. It was a wonderful dinner."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I'll see you some other time at work." She excused herself and turned to leave.

However, Ryuu had one last thing to ask of her. He could have waited another time to ask, or perhaps over rabbit chat, but it felt like the ideal opportunity to do so.

"Ousaka-san, wait!"

She turned around at his call, mildly surprised. "Yes?"

"I was wondering… do you think we could meet again, like this? I mean, maybe not for dinner, perhaps lunch or coffee?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

They parted ways after that, and Ryuu could not help but have a silly little smile plastered on his face as he walked home.

Since then, they met almost every week.

There were times when they would plan to have meals in advance, while others happened to be impromptu arrangements that were made when they happened to meet not only at work but during their time off as well.

There was one incident when they ran into each other, quite literally, at a large bookstore located near a major station. At that time, he was looking for a best-selling novel that he had been recommended by Tenn, who had borrowed it from his sister. It also happened to be the release date of a magazine he had modelled for and Sougo was there to purchase it. She had not expected to see Ryuu and was shocked speechless when he had bumped into her at the cashier, acting as if her intention to obtain the magazine was a crime that she should have been arrested for. She apologised so profusely to him that they nearly caused a scene in the shop. If not for Ryuu's quick thinking, they would surely have been exposed. He invited her out to tea after they made their respective purchases, which she accepted.

Soon, Ryuu began to look forward to seeing Sougo every week. Apparently it had caused an obvious change in him, which he had not noticed until his group mates pointed out.

"Say, Ryuu, did something good happen lately?" Gaku, who was unable to stand how odd their tallest member was acting, decided to speak up about it during their break in the dressing room. This took place in their dressing room before the recording of an interview for a television programme, about two weeks before Christmas. "You've been acting weird."

"Disgustingly weird." Tenn corrected him swiftly, sharp-tongued as always.

"Eh?! How so?"

"You seem… happy. Too happy. You've been grinning ear to ear like an idiot for some reason and it's not like you. In fact, you're making the same moronic expression Tenn does whenever he just bought a magazine with Nanase's gravure but has it hidden in his bag to use as a 'side dish' at night, thinking that no one knows about his dirty little secret."

"I what?!" Tenn's expression as he shot Gaku a glare, which lay between the definitions of shocked and offended, was so horrid that it was unexpectedly hilarious, but Ryuu knew better than to disrupt the mood by laughing.

"So?" Gaku casually ignored the death glares being shot his way. "Did something good happen… with Ousaka perhaps?"

Now Ryuu could not laugh at Tenn, for his expression was just as scandalous.

"H-H-H-How…"

"Please." The silver-haired man sighed. "You would have to be blind or oblivious to not notice how close the both of you have been getting. You got the hots for her, don't you? Have you confessed to her yet?"

"Of course not!"

"What are you encouraging, Gaku? We're idols. Falling in love should not be a topic that we are discussing here. Not to mention that she's from a rival agency, one that our president told us not to get so chummy with."

"What is the brat who had the guts to steal a kiss from his sister backstage when he thought no one was looking saying?"

That made Tenn shut his mouth, at least regarding this particular matter.

"Gaku, we're just acquaintances. At most friends. There's nothing going on between us."

"Oh? So you mean you don't feel anything for her?"

"About Ousaka-san… she's a nice girl. She's polite, modest and kind… and there's something about her that's not like anyone else. She's much too good for someone like me."

"Ryuu, you're not answering my question." Gaku could not help but sigh. "Here I was thinking that it was unusual how you were being aggressive for once, with how frequent you've been seeing her and all. Guess I was wrong. That means you'll be fine if another man comes by and sweeps her off her feet, am I right?"

To be honest, Ryuu never thought of that. Not of the notion of whether Sougo would fall for another, but rather if he would be fine with it or not. An unpleasant, nasty feeling stirs within him and he knew that the answer lay deep within, which finally came to the surface.

"No. It would not be fine with me at all if something like that happens."

"Then do something about it. Before being an idol, you're a man, aren't you?"

Gaku was right. At that time, he recalled something that his father used to tell him: women are like fish, the moment you find a special one you would have to put in an immerse amount effort in order to catch that her. Back then, he did not understand what he meant, but now he does.

However, having the will and taking the action were two separate matters altogether.

Confessing one's feelings took a lot of courage. It was not a matter that was simply exaggerated in works of fiction. He had made up his mind to ask her around Christmas, when he asked her out for dinner and an evening's walk to view the illumination set up for the season. The thought that the romantic mood would help to give his morale a boost, but in the end he chickened out. However, he was close enough in his attempt which resulted in her blushing redder than he had ever seen before. To him, it was a hint about her feelings towards him, but after she began to avoid him after that day he actually wondered if it was truly the right choice to make.

He spoke of this to Gaku and Tenn, who scolded him for having no backbone rather than being of help. However, he did not want to give up and had no reason to. Even if she had come to hate him, he would still tell her how he feels about her.

It was hard to get her, especially since work began to swarm in for both their groups as the date slowly approached closer to Valentines, especially with the Visual Board Tour that Idolish7 had embarked on. Despite that, she still gave him chocolate along with the rest of Trigger, but not directly. Riku had come by to visit Tenn during a photoshoot along with Iori and brought along Sougo's gifts to them as well. Gaku had pointed out that the one Ryuu received was different compared to the others, not just visually, but he could not be sure.

Before he knew it, White Day had passed as well without anything being said or done. However, even if it was under the guise of returning the favour for Valentines, he still persisted in meeting her during their private time. She finally agreed to go out for a drive with him after he had asked her out at the recording studio on the evening where Mezzo" was invited as a special guest for a live music programme. Well, Tamaki was the one who made the decision for her, complaining about how annoying it was to see her not being honest about her feelings and trying to run away instead of facing it head on, something which the younger girl had supposedly been scolded about numerous times.

Naturally, Ryuu asked their manager for permission, in case Sougo had work early the next day. She was scheduled to be off, much to his relief.

He escorted her to his car and held the door open for her, a favour which she responded to with a word of thanks. He got in on the other side and started the car, driving off to the destination he had in mind. Of course, he was in no hurry to reach there; they were out on a leisurely ride and should take the time to enjoy it. He also had things he wanted to talk about.

To break the ice, Ryuu began by asking her the usual questions: how was she out of late, how was work faring, was there anything interesting that happened out of late? He could tell that she seemed nervous being alone with him in the vehicle but she was able reply to his questions properly. What was different this time was that she did not redirect the questions to him as she would, turning their conversation one-sided on his part. Ryuu felt a lump form in his throat as he doubted his decision to go through with his confession. However, if he were to pull out now, he would never get another chance.

He had to take a wager, no matter how risky it may be.

"Ousaka-san, do you have someone you are interested in?"

"Eh?"

Okay, that came out a little too direct, but it was good. He needed to trap her so that she would not escape from him.

"I was wondering if you have anyone you were… in love with, right now."

"I…" She seemed at a lost at how to answer him. "There… isn't…"

"Be honest with me, Ousaka-san. Please."

He stopped the car by the side of the road, turning to her to look at her in the eye. She turned her head away, so he could not see the expression she was making.

"… There is… someone who I am in love with."

Ryuu's hands clutched the steering wheel tighter, but his mind was surprisingly calm. "Is that so?"

Stepping down on the pedal, he set the car back in motion, moving towards the place he had intended to bring her to.

"Tsunashi-san?" Sougo sounded worried and frightened, calling his name.

"Ousaka-san, can you do me a favour? I want you to close your eyes until I tell you to open them."

Sougo seemed relieved that there was no hint of anger or distaste in his voice, but she could not understand his intention. However, she trusted him and did as he had asked.

The whirring of the vehicle was the only sound that could be heard from within the car for the next fifteen minutes or so. Neither of them spoke nor made conversation with each other, but the atmosphere was not as tense as either of them had expected to be. To Ryuu, that is not necessarily a good sign.

When the car came to a halt and grew completely silent, Sougo knew they had arrived. Ryuu opened the door on his side and got out, quickly making his way over to the other side to open hers as well. He could not help but appreciate how she really kept her eyes closed the entire time.

"Ousaka-san, we have arrived. You may open your eyes now."

And when she did, the sight was one to behold. They were surrounded by trees… cherry blossom trees, to be exact. It was not her first time doing flower-viewing at night, but yet it still took her breath away.

"Amazing." She cannot help but murmur out loud as she took Ryuu's hand, which he had offered to help her out of the vehicle.

"Isn't it? The night cherry blossoms here aren't well known, but they're beautiful."

"How did you come to know about this place?"

"I read about it online and wanted to see it for myself… with you by my side." A gust of spring wind blew past them, carrying scattered petals with it. "Ousaka Sougo. I like you. Please go out with me."

Ryuu felt that time had stopped at that very moment. They were standing face-to-face on the pavement next to his car, surrounded by the trees in abundant bloom. Sougo had one hand resting on her neck as she had been trying to sweep her long hair back so it would not get in her face when the wind blew. Her eyes had a soft expression while she was looking at the blossoms, but when he spoke she directed them to look at him. His confession seemed to be a bigger shock to her than he thought it would be, as her eyes had widened significantly, but she has yet to say anything about it.

And, as if breaking the tenderness of that moment, a single tear rolled down her cheek and was soon followed by another.

"O-Ousaka-san?!"

He expected to be rejected, but not for her to cry! What should he do? What could he do? What can he do? He does not know what he should do other than to panic.

"…ad…"

"D-Did you say something?"

"I'm glad." She repeated, as more tears started to flow. "I was so scared… I wouldn't know what I would do if these feelings of mine really turned out to be one-sided…"

"Eh?"

Does that mean…

"Tsunashi-san, I… I like you too. If you are really okay with someone like me, I am more than willing to go out with you."

Ryuu felt tears form in his own eyes, a smile on his lips.

"What do you mean by 'someone like me'... that should be my line." He stepped towards her, holding her tight in his arms. "There is no one for me other than you."

And when she wrapped her arms around him, he knew that she felt the same way about him. Still in their embrace, they shared their first kiss, blessed by the fragrant spring breeze and the light of the full moon.

Thinking back, Ryuu really went through a lot.

If he did not learn more about her and still retained his initial impression of her, he probably would not have fallen in love with her. However, that does not mean that he knew everything about her just yet. There was so much more to know and learn from here on out, but he would take his time to experience each and every one of them.

There was no need for him to rush since he would have all the time in the world.

**\- END -**

**Author's Note:**

> "Geki-karai" (激辛い) and "Piri-karai" (ピリ辛い) both refer to spicy food in Japanese, but they imply a different type of spiciness. "Geki" means intense, which refers to the type of spiciness which burns your mouth when you put the food in. You often see it exaggerated in anime when the characters spew flames from their mouth. "Piri" is originally an onomatopoeia, and refers to the type of spiciness that is not explosive but "pricks" your mouth.
> 
> The Italian restaurant was inspired by a real restaurant called "Yoshikami", which specialises in western-style food. Their food is not cheap, but it's the best I had in Japan. You can find out more at [their website here](http://www.yoshikami.co.jp).
> 
> It's a bit hard to explain unless you grew up in a country where the adults who raised you usually are fans of spicy and chilli.


End file.
